Bitter Flames
by silver drip
Summary: A story that weaves through the lives of an ancient Bella, Alistair the hermit, The Volturi, a somewhat naive Carlisle, and various other characters that we love and hate. All vampires. Updates every other day. 3rd person POV.
1. Chapter 1

**So I started writing this as a one-shot hoping it would get the creative juices flowin' so I could continue ****Just a Cup of Sugar****, but the inspiration only applied to this story. I started it last Friday and finished the first draft this Wednesday. It's a lil' over 17k words. **

**I'll be posting this on the days I don't update ****Natural Order****. This is in my abbreviated style of writing. **

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3rdPOV

1500s

Alistair was rather fond of his life. Some internal clock told him he was just shy of having been alive in this altered state for two centuries. He breathed in the fresh air of his territory, preferring to stay in the wooded areas until he felt the need to sate his thirst.

He looked around the forest idly while he sat on a tree he had uprooted two years past. Despite there being no greater peace than enjoying the silence of the forest on a full stomach Alistair felt restless. He longed for a fight, he felt the urge to dig his fingers into someone's flesh and tear them to pieces. It was the only way to fight off the insanity, the blankness in which hours and days could fly by before he reawoke, usually covered in blood and filth.

Mauling a human wouldn't satisfy this urge though. They were too weak, easily broken, and prone to excreting themselves. He almost wished that the Volturi would stop by like they did half a decade ago. Now that had been fun. Five against one, they had all been skilled fighters, enough to at least entertain him. Before he pulled the last one's head off the weakling had begged for mercy, invoking the name of the Volturi, and pleading to every god known. After asking him a few 'polite' questions the vampire answered, albeit only after Alistair squeezed them out of him.

A year later he spotted a pair of vampires far away from his territory. They both wore the Volturi crest, but made no move towards him. After they spotted him they ran off and Alistair had not heard from the Volturi since then. He had a feeling that he'd hear from them again soon.

A day passed as he remained sitting.

Part of him knew he should run the borders of his territory, reestablishing his scent, but he _really_ wanted to fight someone. If the scent was weak others might wonder into his land and serve as entertainment until the thirst called for him to hunt again.

He sighed and thought better of it. Despite his want for a fight his need to keep others out of his territory was stronger. It had already been a month since he last scented the area for any intruders.

According to many of the vampires he had met when he was young and more tolerant to company most vampires were nomads. Very few laid down territory.

Alistair didn't have any emotional ties to this place from when he was human, but something attracted him to it when he had new eyes and infinite time. He briefly wondered what the humans were calling these lands now before brushing the thought aside. He didn't speak their language, so it didn't really matter.

A scent caught his attention and he paused in his running. Lifting his head up and towards the wind he breathed in deeply. There it was again, the scent of another vampire. He grinned widely and started tracking it.

Ten minutes later he was at the edge of his territory and still hadn't picked up anything more than wafts. He hesitated briefly. It felt unnatural for him to step pass the invisible lines he had set down many years before.

Alistair wanted to kill though, to hear someone scream, perhaps if he was lucky they'd even beg him to stop. And what he wanted he got. With resolute steps he pushed onto foreign, unclaimed grounds. The scent quickly grew thicker and more concentrated. His anger was boiling just under the surface. For their scent to be this intense they'd either have to have stayed in one spot for quite a while or laid claim to lands, lands very close to his own.

That was more than enough incentive for him to kill the fool.

The scent was different than anything he'd ever encountered before, but he didn't let that deter him. Just as he could no longer sees his territory he paused, suddenly understanding why the scent was strange. It was a _female's _scent. A female vampire. He'd never encountered one before.

This… changed things for him. His anger and need to destroy drifted away and was replaced by curiosity. He suddenly didn't know how to approach the situation and moved forward at a slower pace before smelling the lines of a territory. Alistair hedged around the territory, deciding to see how big it was.

It took him a little over a day to circle the oblong area. Not once did he see _her_.

For the time being he decided to go back to his territory and make sure his scent didn't lead anyone to believe his hunting grounds were fair game.

A week passed and he was still unsure on what to do.

_She _wasn't exactly disturbing him or anything, but she was still too close for his liking. Her scent tended to drift into his territory, setting him on edge.

Another week passed by and the scent just become another fleeting aspect of his territory, like the winter or fall. Eventually he didn't even consciously notice it anymore.

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**Bit of a slow opening. It just sets the stage. Next chapter is the Volturi! **


	2. Chapter 2

1600s

"I thought you said you had this under control?" Aro said with a hiss as he looked at his annoyingly calm brother Caius. The blond merely sneered in response. Marcus chose then to break his long standing silence, simply out of annoyance of his two brothers.

"I believe we have wasted enough men on this endeavor." He cleared his throat. "That vampire obviously wants nothing to do with us, or anyone else for that matter. We've made our laws quite clear to him, and even before we stumbled upon him he hadn't revealed his nature to any humans." Marcus nodded to himself, pleased with what he would be considered a speech for him.

"He's killed over 90 of our guards! I want either his gift or his death!" Aro shouted and tossed a book at Marcus. Marcus made no move to dodge the object, and soon after leafs of the book were scattered everywhere, only making Aro angrier.

"We already have vampires with superior strength." Caius sighed.

"Yes, but he has unwavering strength. You know what Eleazar said. His gift is his willpower. His strength is enduring, even in the greatest of pain and at the greatest disadvantage he'd keep fighting, that in battle he's unstoppable!" Aro growled. "I want him dead."

"I believe we are needlessly making him into an enemy. I doubt we could ever have him as our ally, but the least we can do is not give him any more reasons to want to harm the Volturi." Caius' voice was logical. "No one knows of this failing. Unless he breaks the law I believe we should leave him be."

"I agree." Marcus said.

"Fine!" Aro shouted before storming out of the room.

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**They are, of course, referring to Alistair.  
**


	3. Chapter 3

1600s

For a decade the Volturi pawns came to Alistair's territory to play, but they had suddenly stopped, much to his disappointment. He had quickly gone back into his routine of peace with intermediate bursts of violence. As a pastime he had taken up the hunting game of choosing a family and slowly stealing one member after another for his meal.

It was all good fun. Years drifted by and he grew more bored until he spent most days just staring at the changing sky. He idly wondered how high the sky reached, or if it went on forever.

On an icy winter day a new scent caught his attention. He growled, both in anger and joy. Alistair started running towards it, only to find that the scent was coming from the direction of his neighbor's territory.

The new scent was completely overpowered by _her _scent.

So the nomad was not so foolish as to enter Alistair's territory, but still dumb enough to enter hers. He was conflicted. If the nomad destroyed his silent and unseen neighbor Alistair would be pleased, but the nomad would likely get away. If _she_ succeeded at destroying the intruder he wouldn't have his fun.

The nomad was on _her _land though. So it was _her _problem.

Either way the scent was weak and the outcome of any battle probably already concluded.

Alistair exhaled loudly and turned back to go to his territory.

But the new scent never dissipated, not even half a year later. It was never completely mixed with _her's_, but it was clearly coming from that area. The scent wasn't on the borders of _her _territory, so Alistair knew they weren't mated and sharing a territory. The nomad was merely a guest.

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**Next chapter: Carlisle! Get excited! **


	4. Chapter 4

1600s

Carlisle couldn't help but stare at the beautiful woman in front of him. It had been complete coincidence that he had stumbled across her scent during his travels.

He had never met another of his kind before her, but some part of him knew the scent was vampire, so he had followed it both out of curiosity and loneliness.

He eventually found his way to an area where the scent was thick. Some instinct told him not to trespass onto that marked land, so he sat and waited. A week later he spotted her. She had red eyes. A large part of Carlisle expected that, yet was still disappointed. She was young, no older than 16, yet still absolutely breathtaking.

Carlisle opened his mouth to greet her, but the look she was giving him made him stop. She was glaring, yet there was a wary glint to it. He took a step closer and she hissed, and got into a fighting stance. He held his hands up in a show of surrender, but she didn't switch from her position.

"I mean no harm." Carlisle said in his gentlest voice.

"Step into my territory and I'll destroy you." The female said with an accent Carlisle didn't recognize.

"I-"

"You've been warned." She said curtly before edging away from him and running deeper into her territory.

Carlisle didn't follow. He believed her when she said she'd destroy him. Perhaps it was because there was no fear in her voice.

He sat back down at the edge of her territory feeling very tired and even more lonely. That was the first time he spoke to anyone since he was human. Carlisle knew he should leave and not test her patience, but he couldn't bring himself to go. He really wanted a friend, someone to break the silence that seemed to constant engulf and strangle him.

The next day she appeared again, scowling at his presence.

"I just want-" He started saying, but her growl made him stop. "I just want to be your friend!" He finally said. The female stopped her growl and looked at him confused.

"What is your gift?" She asked in a harsh tone.

"Gift?" He responded, unschooled in vampire's abilities.

"Gift, talent, ability, whatever you want to call it." Her voice left no room for argument, but Carlisle still didn't know how to respond.

"Umm, I can run very fast and lift impossibly heavy things." Carlisle said hesitantly. The woman stared at him, no emotions playing across his face. Once again she edged away from him, before running off. He thought he might have faintly heard a boisterous laugh from her, just before she left his sights.

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**I love this chapter! What do you think of Bella and Carlisle's interaction?  
**


	5. Chapter 5

1600s

Two days later she came back, always at a safe distance.

"Why are your eyes yellow?" She asked before Carlisle could say anything.

"I believe it is because I don't drink from humans." The female looked at him skeptically. "I feed from animals." Disgust flashed in her eyes, but she quickly hid it. She moved to run away again.

"Wait! What's your name? I'm Carlisle Cullen." The woman turned back towards him and looked him over from head to toe in a slow sweep. He suddenly felt self conscious. She scoffed and ran off.

A week passed and Carlisle almost gave up on her, but then she appeared, just before sunrise. She looked expectantly at him.

"So Miss," he waited for her to fill in the blank, but she never did. "Do you have a gift?" The woman grinned widely at his question.

With a slow motion she raked her pointer finger down the side of a tree, leaving a flaming trail. Carlisle's eyebrows shot up in surprise and he took a step backward. The female's smile grew even wider before she pressed her whole hand against the tree and it started to burn and turn to ash under her touch.

She ran off again into her territory, and this time Carlisle was sure he heard her laughing.

Carlisle didn't know if he should leave or not. She didn't exactly tell him to leave this time, but the threat was clear.

After thinking it over Carlisle's loneliness won out and he stayed.

The following day she reappeared.

"I thought you would have left by now." She said and Carlisle could practically feel her eyes scrutinizing him.

"I don't want to be alone again." Carlisle said honestly. "Will you at least let me know your name?" She didn't respond immediately.

"Come with me Carlisle Cullen." She said and he hesitated. The woman raised her eyebrow at him and he stood up and walked to her. Walking over the invisible line of her territory set him on edge. They ran together and Carlisle noticed that she always made sure he was never behind her. They were always either side by side with a good distance between them or she was running behind him, verbally giving directions.

Twenty minutes later they arrived at a large, seemingly abandoned house. Her scent was very potent there. She seemed to relax a bit when they went inside.

Carlisle was amazed by the house's contents. Against every wall books were stacked to the ceiling. He gaped at the wonder of it all, especially considering the only book he'd ever read was the bible.

"You seem rather uninformed, Carlisle Cullen, especially about vampires." The woman said, startling him out of his thoughts. There was only one overly stuffed chair in the room and she sat in it, leaving Carlisle to stand.

"Please just call me Carlisle. And yes, you're the first vampire I met." He said, still looking at all the books in wonder.

"Your maker didn't stay with you." She sighed. "I feel obliged to inform you then. You know you are a vampire, obviously, but we have laws." The woman said as she swept her hair from her shoulder, before brushing though it briefly, reminding Carlisle of her beauty.

"Laws?"

"Just three, do not reveal the existence of vampires to humans, do not change a human under the age of 16 years, and do not feed within the walls of Volterra."

"Volterra?"

"Home of the Volturi. They're the law enforcement of our race. Don't let them fool you into thinking they are royalty. There were ones that claimed to be royalty of our race before them, and there will be ones that claim that title after the Volturi." Carlisle nodded and brushed his hand against one of the books, wondering about its contents. The woman hissed and he retracted his hand. "Don't touch that." Carlisle took a step away from the books. "Now, tell me why you abstain from humans. After you told me about your feeding habits I tried to drink from a deer. It was absolutely vile." The female scowled and Carlisle couldn't help but laugh at her expression.

"I don't want to hurt anyone. To take a life, it's a sin in the eyes of the lord." The woman scoffed at him.

"Human lives, they are meaningless. All the humans are the same and regardless of our actions they will die, either by our hand or by the indirect hand of this god of yours." She paused. "Which god are you referring to?" Carlisle blanched at her question.

"The only god there is. The Christian god, the one from holy bible, the old testaments and new." The woman nodded at him before standing and walking to one of the walls. She paused before pulling out one of the books. Carlisle recognized it as a bible.

"This one?" The woman held it up and Carlisle nodded, wanting nothing more than to read it again. He remembered religion had been such a large aspect of his human life. The female seemed to sense his want.

"Would you like to have this book, Carlisle? I've already memorized its contents." Carlisle nodded eagerly. The female smiled at Carlisle and he realized it was the first time he'd ever seen her actually show a positive emotion. She was even more angelic when she did. He was momentarily stunned with her beauty before she was scowling again.

Carlisle opened the holy book and frowned.

"I-I can't read it. I don't know this language."

"A trivial problem. I'll recite it to you in English as you look at the words. You should be able to read it on your own before we even get half way through." Before he could respond the female sat back in her seat and started reciting it from memory. Carlisle quickly found where she was at. He followed along, his finger pointing to whatever word she was saying. If he ever got off track she'd stop and told him which word he was supposed to be on. Every so often she would pause and explain the dual meaning some words had, or say the differences she had read in other versions of the bible.

Carlisle found her voice soothing. He enjoyed the process of learning a new language. Hearing The Lord's word again calmed a part of him he thought was lost once he became a monster.

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**So Bella gave him a bit of an education. Do you like this version of Carlisle and Bella so far?  
**


	6. Chapter 6

1600s

"Oh, I had not meant to allow you to stay this long." Bella said after reciting Romans. Carlisle had long ago figured out the language, now he was just listening to her calming voice. She laughed to herself, confused by her own actions. A small part of her knew why she had let him stay. She loved teaching, and he had been so eager to learn. Nevertheless it was time for him to go and not bother her any longer. "Carlisle, take that book and leave." He frowned and didn't move.

"Please, I don't want to be alone any longer. This is the first time I've been happy in decades." He was pleading, but she was unaffected. "I just want to learn more," and that's all it took for Bella to seriously consider him. She'd have to be on constant guard if he was to be around, but she loved sharing her knowledge and he was just so enthusiastic. She hadn't had a student in over two centuries and all he had wanted to learn was how to fight. She growled slightly, annoyed with the situation and her lack of trust in others.

"Fine, but I have rules. You are not to touch me, my books, or any of the humans in my territory. I don't care how many animals you kill though. Do you agree, Carlisle Cullen?" He nodded. "Good, now what do you want to know?" Without hesitation he answered.

"Everything."

Bella couldn't help but laugh.

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**Short chapter, just showing a bit of why Bella let Carlisle into her territory.  
**


	7. Chapter 7

1600s

She was a spectacular teacher. Carlisle didn't even know there were so many things in this world worth learning. He had no idea how big the world was before he met her.

Once Bella started teaching it was like she became a completely different person. Her whole face came alive and she lit up. Despite their differences in hunting preferences he couldn't help but be attracted to her.

"Carlisle, come outside!" He heard her shout from a distance. Carlisle smiled and put down the book he was reading. As he stepped out of her house he froze. The scent of human blood was thick and he felt his throat burn. He couldn't speak from fear of losing control if he tasted the blood in the air. "How do you expect to forever abstain from human blood if you can't control your urges?" Bella asked as she held a severed, bloody finger up. A drop of crimson fell onto her hand and he wanted nothing more than to lick it off of her. "Whether you like it or not you'll eventually run across a human. Avoiding them will just delay the inevitable. If you can't control yourself than you'll eventually slip and kill one of your precious humans." Carlisle knew she was right, but didn't want to move. When Bella saw he wasn't going to move an idea came to mind. "Everyday I'll bring back a bloody finger until you can control yourself enough to take it from me. And before you even think about running away to spare those humans their fingers, if you leave I promise you I'll torture 100 humans."

Carlisle didn't want to agree to her terms, but he couldn't live with the thought of 100 humans going through the pain he knew Bella could put them through just because of him. So instead of running away he moved towards her at a gruelingly slow pace. After three steps he couldn't control himself anymore and started charging towards the blood. Once he was in arms' reach Bella easy stopped him without even having to use the hand holding the finger. He struggled against her until his senses came back.

He was ashamed at his actions. This isn't how he wanted to learn control, but he was grateful to her for trying to help him.

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**What do you think of Bella's methods? Harsh or realistic? **


	8. Chapter 8

1600s

A month passed in this manner and Carlisle could now get within three steps of her before he lunged at the blood. A week later he had enough control and belief in himself to reach for the fresh finger, but when he did Bella pulled it away from him. He frowned and gave her a look of confusion. Bella grinned.

"I never said I'd give it to you, Carlisle. You have to take it from me in order for me to stop stealing fingers from the humans." She said and Carlisle swiped at her hand. "You'll have to learn to fight to get it. Not ever vampire is as kind as I am." Carlisle tried to pay attention to both her movements and his control as he tried to grab the finger, but quickly realized he couldn't. A few minutes later he lunged at the blood, completely forgetting his goal. She quickly tripped him and pushed him to the ground. "We'll continue tomorrow." Bella said, when she saw he could no longer maintain his composure. "Go hunt." Before he could respond Bella ran off to dispose of the finger.

Carlisle was lucky that Bella's territory had such a large forest in it. When he'd asked her why she chose this place as her own she'd answered that she wanted it since one of the cities in it was where two major trade routes met, another one of the cities had one of the best colleges in the world.

A scent pulled him away from his tracking of a doe. He turned back around and went to find Bella. She was in her house, reading as usual.

"I smelled the scent of another vampire." Carlisle was both excited and nervous about Bella's reaction.

"Did it smell bitter yet spicy, with just a tinge of blood?" She asked without looking up from her book.

"Yes." Carlisle was disappointed with her monotone response and lack of reaction.

"He owns a territory near my own. I wouldn't recommend you bothering him, Carlisle. I've seen more than one Volturi member go into his territory and never return. Along with that throughout the years I smelled the distinct odor of burning vampire."

"He lives close enough that you can smell him and you haven't even met him?" Carlisle couldn't wrap his head around that.

"This is not some happy community we live in as vampires." Bella said as she closed her book and looked at Carlisle. "When one of us lays down territory it clearly means we do not want to be disturbed. The only exception to that rule being of course the Volturi."

"Sorry for disturbing you." He said and Bella scoffed at him.

"Just go finish your hunt so I can teach you about the great philosophers."

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**And Bella's methods get even harsher! Review!  
**


	9. Chapter 9

**Sorry if I didn't get to respond to your review! It's been a busy day! **

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1600s

Two months passed and Carlisle was almost in complete control of his blood lust due to Bella's harsh training. He still couldn't steal the finger from her even without the blood distracting him. It was frustrating knowing that everyday a human lost their finger because of him. He would never admit it, but Carlisle was more frustrated with the fact that Bella kept beating him without using one of her hands.

The way she got excited to teach him something new always served to entertain him. Carlisle found her to be completely captivating. He wanted to know everything about her, but she wouldn't give any information beyond her name to him. He felt like if she genuinely opened up to him that he could fall in love with her easily, despite her disregard for human life.

He was expecting her back any minute, with a fresh finger and her usual teasing smile. Carlisle heard her light footfalls and exited the house, preparing for the scent of blood. He was surprised when she appeared without the finger.

"I was thinking that today I'd teach you how to really fight, instead of letting you just stumble through it." Bella said then proceeded to explain the dynamics of the vampire body, what he shouldn't do when fighting a vampire, and how to take down a werewolf. Carlisle hadn't even been aware there was such a thing as werewolves.

A few hours later they were sparring and Carlisle could tell how pleased Bella was with his progress. She was just so damn beautiful when she was having a good time.

He was momentarily distracted and Bella took advantage of that. A second later he was on his back with Bella standing over him. She pressed her foot down on his chest to keep him from moving. He grabbed her leg, trying to unbalance her when he realized something was different. The pants she was wearing had gotten a large tear up the side, letting his skin connect with hers. He immediately let go and was embarrassed due to his upbringing.

"Sorry." Carlisle said as he looked away from her. Bella laughed loudly and leaned over him.

"Carlisle Cullen, you never cease to entertain me. You must have been born in a morally uptight time. I am no little girl. I won't run off if you touch me." She chuckled again. "Or are you scared I might burn you with my gift if you touch my skin?" Bella asked, half joking.

"I'm not scared of your gift." Carlisle said, proud that his voice hadn't broken. He was flustered.

"Well that's rather foolish of you," flames danced on the palm of Bella's hand, "considering it could kill you instantly."

"I'm not scared because I know you don't want to kill me." Carlisle was still laying prone on his back under her heel.

"What makes you so sure of that?" Bella said in a dark voice as she leaned down towards him and the flames in her hand grew brighter, hotter. Carlisle wasn't intimidated though.

"I'm sure because if you wanted to kill me I'd already be dead, and what would be the point of teaching me all of this only to kill me in the end?" The flame died as he spoke. Bella sunk down, straddling him, just north of where he really wanted her.

"So it's just the touch of my skin that makes you nervous, not my gift?" Bella was legitimately curious.

"Yes," Carlisle answered breathlessly, not used to having a woman this close. Bella grinned.

"Lust for the flesh and lust for blood feel quite similar." Bella moved quickly, capturing both his hands and holding them down. "Some would argue that to control one you'd have to have a good hold on the other." Bella said before she started kissing him. At first, Carlisle didn't know what to do, but his body clearly did since not even a second later he was kissing her back. Bella let his hands go and they automatically went to her body, roaming, squeezing, and caressing. "Pace yourself, Carlisle." Bella whispered in a deep voice before she moaned, completely making him lose his thoughts.

That was the first day they became one.

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**So their relationship shifted and changed. What do you think of this twist?  
**


	10. Chapter 10

1600s

Bella had not meant for things to go so far with him. She wasn't looking for a mate, especially not such a strange one. She'd be lying though if she said she didn't enjoy it. Carlisle was a quick study when it came to most things and sex was no exception.

It only took a few days for him to become proficient in the act of sex, two weeks for him to be up to her standards in fighting. Bella was pleased with his control of his blood lust. If things kept going at this pace she'd be out of things to teach him all too soon.

All the sex was slowing down her lessons, but making things much more interesting.

A month after they first started enjoying eachother's bodies Bella called out to him again as she walked toward her house. He walked out and froze when he saw she was carrying a drained human.

"So I was thinking," Bella said as she dropped the corpse in front of him, "if you really care about the humans as much as you claim to you should become a doctor. With your enhanced senses you'd be able to better identify and understand their ailments. Your years of practicing would also help. And if you're really good at your job you might be capable of offsetting at least half of the deaths I cause." Bella laughed loudly before digging into her pocket and pulling out a foldable knife. She tossed it to Carlisle who was still so shocked that it just hit his chest and fell to the ground.

"I don't think I can-"

"Don't be ridiculous. Of course you can cut him open, he's dead! How else are you going to learn how they work if you don't know what's going on inside them? Anyways, it will be good practice for your self-control considering I'm sure there's at least a little bit of blood left." Bella sounded like she had all the confidence in the world in him, and Carlisle almost believed he could do it. With shaky hands he picked up the knife.

Kneeling next to the corpse he felt a little woozy. He'd never seen a cadaver so close before. He'd spent all his vampiric life avoiding humans. Bella ripped the dead man's shirt open and pointed to where he was to begin. Carlisle was sickened by how easily he could glide the knife through the man's flesh. Bella showed him how to open up the ribcage and named off every organ and its functions as Carlisle found them.

It was an experience he would never forget.

* * *

**I always wondered how Carlisle decided to be a doctor... so I wrote out my own answer!  
**


	11. Chapter 11

1600s

It had been over half a year since Bella and Carlisle first encountered each other. Carlisle was completely in control of his bloodlust and Bella was almost out of things she could teach him.

It was nice having him around though. It was even better when he was touching her, but Bella preferred to be alone, and she didn't love him. Her role as his teacher was quickly coming to an end. Once that barrier was down that would leave them as just two vampires having sex, mates.

As much as Bella enjoyed him she could never consider him mate material. He was too weak, soft hearted, and caring. He didn't love to fight like she did, both physically and verbally. He also didn't understand her deep rooted need for solitude and silence.

"So I was thinking," Carlisle began and Bella internally sighed. He was interrupting her reading time.

"Yes?" She prompted.

"I'd like to try and meet your neighbor, to try and convince him to change diets."

"That's a folly." Bella said simply before going back to her book, assuming the matter was closed.

"What if he doesn't know there is another way he could be living? He could be wishing to stop the needless slaughters, and just doesn't know the solution."

"I believe I told you that vampires that staked claims on land tended not to like being disturbed, especially not to hear someone spew their own brand of gospel." Carlisle flinched and Bella realized she had been needlessly harsh. "I just think it's a very big risk that is unlikely to yield anything besides your death. With more training than I can teach you could be saving lives easily. Don't risk all that because of him. Leave that hermit alone." Bella tried reading his expression and was disappointed with what she saw. "Fine, if you insist on pointlessly putting yourself in danger you should be dowsed in my scent. I'm sure he's used to it by now and if he smells it on you he might actually hesitate to kill you. Just don't go into his territory without his explicit permission." Bella said before beckoning Carlisle over to her for some very enjoyable sex.

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**Next chapter is Carlisle's and Alistair's first meeting! **


	12. Chapter 12

1600s

That smell… Alistair growled. _She _had never been this close before. _Her _scent was thick, but there was also the male's scent there too. Alistair started running towards their combined scent, violence on his mind.

A blond male came into his sights an hour later. He was a good distance from Alistair's territory, but he was still too close for his liking. He had the strangest eye color. Alistair could tell by the way the stranger moved that he was no warrior. He would be an easy kill.

"I mean you no harm." Carlisle said while showing his open palms, a move Bella had taught him when appeasing a more instinctual vampire. It was enough to make Alistair pause at the edge of his territory. "I just wanted to let you know there is another way you could be living. You don't have to kill humans. Animal blood can sustain us just as well as human blood can. I've been told it doesn't taste as good, but you won't have to be a killer anymore."

This male was weak. Alistair could easily tell that. He obviously wasn't a member of the Volturi or even a remote threat.

"I'm Carlisle Cullen, by the way." Carlisle took a step forward and Alistair started growling again. He couldn't get over how mixed Carlisle's and _her _scent was. Perhaps they really were mates. Alistair didn't stop growling and Carlisle eventually got the message, leaving before he could anger the hermit any more.

* * *

**Surprised by Alistair's reaction? Did you think this was the end for our dear Carlisle?  
**


	13. Chapter 13

**Dear Guest: About your question, vampires do not have soul mates in which things just click when the first touch/meet/see each other ect. It's more like they just fall in love gradually. **

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1600s

Carlisle entered the small house feeling completely defeated. He idly wondered if all vampires were so unwilling to give their name, let alone consider his lifestyle. Bella looked at him over the top of her book.

"I'm pleased to see that you are still alive. I gather he wasn't too open to your idea." Bella said and Carlisle shook his head yes. "That is no big surprise." Bella put down her book. "I think it is time we part ways, Carlisle."

"What?" Carlisle responded, completely blindsided.

"There is nothing more I can teach you. It is time for you to move on. You should go spend some time with the Volturi. Aro will try to change you to his diet, but I'm confident that you'll resist his coercion. They have a very large library and I'm sure you'll be able to learn more about medicine and anatomy than you could by staying here." Carlisle didn't know how to respond to her.

"But I thought-"

"I told you from the start that this was only a temporary arrangement. You are a good man, but if you don't move forward you won't be able to meet your full potential. There will be plenty of vampires there so you won't be lonely."

"But, you won't be there." Carlisle said, genuinely sad at the prospect of no longer having her around. Bella gave him a warm smile.

"We do not love each other. If you stay here with me you'll never meet someone who you can love and be loved in return." Bella's voice was gentle and Carlisle knew she was telling the truth. "You should go and become an even greater man." Carlisle could only nod in response.

Bella gave him detailed directions before they parted ways with sad smiles.

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**Next chapter: Aro!  
**


	14. Chapter 14

1600s

Aro was, as usual, in an annoyingly happy mood.

Jane walked into the throne room, her scowl mirrored Caius'.

"Masters, a vampire is here to meet you all." She said after bowing.

"Does he seem like a threat?" Caius asked, always the most cautious of the three.

"I do not think so. He does have an odd eye color though."

Aro extend his hand and Jane placed her's there. The image of the blond male flashed through her mind immediately interested Aro.

"Summon Alec then escort our guest here." Aro ordered. Jane nodded before silently slinking off. A moment later Alec entered and took up guard near the back of the room. Five minutes later Jane reappeared with Carlisle following in her wake. "Welcome to my city, Carlisle Cullen." Aro said with a flourishing movement of his hands. Carlisle bowed to the three ancients, remembering what Bella had told him about the Volturi. "What brings you to us?"

"My friend recommended I come here. She said I could learn a lot and possibly change a few minds if I visited you all." Carlisle answered straightforwardly.

"And who might your friend be?" Caius asked. Carlisle hesitated to answer. Bella hadn't told him not to mention her and he doubted that she had broken any of their laws.

"Her name is Bella." Carlisle said and Aro briefly felt shock and panic before caution set in.

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**Any guesses on what Bella's and Aro's connection is?  
**


	15. Chapter 15

1600s

Carlisle continued describing Bella's physical traits and the Volturi had no doubt of whom he was talking about.

"Ah, Bella, I have not seen her in many centuries." Aro said, his mind racing. He had to know if Carlisle knew her secret, their shared secret. "She used to be a part of our elite guard long ago. I wonder how she is doing." Aro pretended to muse. "If you would be so kind, Carlisle, I would love to see into your thoughts, to see how she is doing." Carlisle hesitated, but eventually stepped forward to meet Aro's hand.

Thoughts swirled from Carlisle's mind to Aro's.

Aro was surprised by how young Carlisle was considering how composed he was. He grimaced when he understood the cause of Carlisle's strange eye color. The image of Bella set him on edge. He wasn't surprised by her initial rebutting of Carlisle's attempts to be friends. He was shocked though when he saw that she eventually let him stay and they even became lovers. She was normally so selective of who she decided to have sex with.

An image of Alistair made Aro angry. He wanted that vampire as part of his guard. His continued refusal only served to make Aro want him even more.

Finally Carlisle's thoughts came to the present and Aro was relieved.

Bella hadn't broken their agreement. She had not revealed to Carlisle that Aro was the one that gave Bella her freedom in return for her killing Didyme and making it look like the Romanians were the culprit.

Aro let go of Carlisle's hand.

"You are a very interesting, albeit a strange man, Carlisle Cullen. You have full access to our library. I'd warn you about not hunting within the city, but I don't think that will be a problem for you."

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**Next chapter jumps back to Alistair. **

**Did ya like the twist of how Bella's and Aro's connection? **


	16. Chapter 16

1600s

A year after Alistair met Carlisle the Volturi was back to sending hordes of their guards his way. He found it entertaining.

Some of their gifts would cause him great confusion, but he always ended beating them simply through sheer force of will. He never really understood it. Sometimes their gifts would be completely overwhelming, but he always kept fighting and somehow won against all odds.

On a crisp morning Alistair caught the scent of three vampires in his territory, defiling it with their very presence. A few minutes later he heard their near silent footsteps running his way. Those fools had decided to attack straight on. They all wore the Volturi emblem.

All three males jumped at him at once. It was too easy for him. With quick movements Alistair dismembered and beheaded the two to his right. The third jumped backwards and out of his grasp before starting to run in the opposite direction, clearly seeing that he was no match.

He was very fast and Alistair was falling behind, but he wasn't going to give up. Alistair pushed himself harder than ever before as the intruder passed the perimeter of his territory.

The Volturi guard glanced backwards at Alistair. He felt dread settle in his stomach when he saw that he was still pursuing him despite being off territory. The scent of another vampire caught his attention filling him with hope, until he remembered his orders. Aro had mentioned there was another vampire with territory nearby, a deadly female that they were not supposed to bother or interact with. He had made it quite clear that if they spoke to her they would be killed. And to make things worse Alistair was slowly closing the gap between them.

The guard knew that if he didn't escape soon the vampire chasing him would catch up, so he started steering in the direction of the female's territory. He had to hold onto the hope that the male behind him wouldn't enter someone else's territory.

Alistair read his motives and was annoyed by the guard's cowardly actions. He pushed himself harder, hoping to get to him before he crossed into _her _territory. He knew they were very close to it and then for the first time he spotted _her_.

* * *

**First contact! Get excited!  
**


	17. Chapter 17

1600s

Bella was running the perimeter of her territory when she heard the quick steps of two running vampires. She stopped, climbed into a tree, and looked into the direction of the noise. A few seconds later she spotted a Volturi guard with a panicked look on his face.

The man that was chasing him made Bella pause. He was just so _big_. His arms looked like they could pulverize any vampire he encountered. Bella knew he would tower over her if they ever stood near each other. Along with that the smile he wore was vicious. She could see he was thrilled at the prospect of capturing the guard and tearing him apart.

Suddenly their eyes met and he completely stopped, a look of shock crossing his face. Bella looked at him, curious of his strange behavior. Before she could contemplate that the Volturi member entered her territory, enraging her.

She jumped down from the tree and landed right in front of him. He stumbled backwards, having not spotted her beforehand. Bella used his shock to her advantage and grabbed him by his shoulders. Flames emitted from her palms and he started screaming as she set him on fire and simultaneously dismembered him.

Once he was ashes Bella looked back towards the male. His scent drifted her way and she recognized him as her neighbor. She gathered that the guard he had been chasing had trespassed on his territory.

He wasn't in her territory and therefore no concern of hers. Slowly she edged backwards, before turning around and heading back to her house to read.

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**Anticlimactic? Not from Alistair's perspective, which is next chapter.  
**

**Sorry that I couldn't respond to everyone's reviews. I've got a stomach bug and am not functioning. **


	18. Chapter 18

1600s

If not for her eyes and scent when Alistair first spotted _her_ he would have thought she was an angel. When she jumped out of the tree he was almost convinced that she was going to sprout feathered wings and fly back to heaven.

The smile she sported gave him pause though. No angel he'd ever heard of had such a cruel smile. When she landed and grabbed onto the trespasser he was sure that she was no angel and when fire came from her hands he considered that she was most likely a demon. Her grin was sadistic as she pulled apart the Volturi puppet, the limbs turned into ash in her hands.

All too soon the trespasser was no more. Ash slipped through her fingers and into the wind.

She turned her dark smirk on him before eyeing him incredulously. She snorted in a demeaning way before backing away and running out of his vision and further into her territory.

Alistair _wanted _her and that realization startled him. He had never wanted a mate before, but something about her made him believe he could not only tolerate, but actually enjoy her presence.

He almost wished he had talked to that Carlisle Cullen. If he had Alistair might have gained some helpful knowledge about _her_. A part of him was pleased when he realized that male's scent was long gone.

Alistair wanted to track her down, but he knew that intruding into her territory would only anger her and most likely make her want to attack him before he could even say… Say what? He knew how to kill a vampire, torture a human and still keeping them alive, but he didn't know how to persuade a female. Alistair didn't know what he would say to her when they came face to face again, and he knew they would meet again, he'd make sure of it.

She was just too vicious and beautiful to slip away from him forever.

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**What do you think of Alistair's opinion?  
**


	19. Chapter 19

1600s

Three days later Bella decided to strengthen the scent of her borders. She hadn't expected to see her neighbor again. He had moved to a different area around her territory. His hulking form was standing at a fair distance from her border. She realized it was where her scent was the weakest, where she was bound to go to within a week to reestablish her borders. He was clever.

She hissed at him, in no mood to deal with a stranger.

"You are beautiful." He said, not really knowing what else to say.

"As are most vampires, excluding you." Bella said back while growling. He was rather attractive, in an unkempt way.

Alistair was not deterred by her rebuke.

"What's your name, lovely lady?" Bella scoffed at him. He truly was inept at flirting. She was about to run away again when he spoke. "I won't leave this spot until you tell me." This made her pause.

"You wouldn't leave even if I went into your territory and killed every last person?" She asked threateningly, an orange flame flickering on her palm.

"Not even if you claimed it as your own."

"What if a pack of werewolves fell upon you?"

"Then I'd kill them."

"You're a fool."

"This fool wants you as his own."

"I'd have to be an even bigger fool than you to even indulge you with my name." With that said Bella ran part of her perimeter before retiring back to her house.

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**So if any of you've read my other story A Play on Predator and Prey you know how much I love bickering characters... What I'm trying to say is I hope you guys like listening to bickering. **


	20. Chapter 20

1600s

Two weeks later she returned and he was still in the same spot. His eyes were pitch black and there were the ashes of at least four other vampires around him. Bella glared at him, but his stare did not waver.

Bella grinned evilly and took off running in the direction of his territory. She was mildly disappointed when he didn't follow.

She returned a day later smelling of smoke and gore.

"I burnt down one of your forests, where your scent was the thickest then I killed off a village of your humans." Bella expected him to try and attack her, try to kill her, but he remained in the same spot.

Alistair was angry, he was furious, but her actions only made him want her more.

"The forest will regrow and there will always be more humans. So what's your name?" He tried to sound indifferent, but a growl mangled his words. Bella was surprised by his control. If someone had done that to her territory she would have tortured them till they went insane. She appreciated the anger he must be fighting against to remain in the same spot.

Without saying a words she left, a new plan coming to mind.

Five hours later she returned carrying a struggling human male. Just outside of Alistair's reach she sliced the man's throat open, blood spurted out and down the man's shirt. The human stopped moving slowly and finally his heart stopped.

Bella was once again impressed by her neighbor's control. With an annoyed chuckle she dropped the corpses just outside Alistair's arms' reach. She'd leave it there to rot. Bella hoped the scent would drive him away.

When she came back the next day he was still there so she dropped off another drained corpses. The pile of corpses grew as two weeks went by. The scent was absolutely foul, yet he still wouldn't move. Bella breifly considered building a tower around him, but decided against it. By the fifteenth day Bella was furious, as was Alistair.

"You're annoying." Bella said with a hiss.

"And you are absolutely ravishing. The way you disposed of that intruder was completely amazing. How you smiled as he turned to ash…" Alistair's voice trailed off and Bella could see lust in his eyes. She was just about fed up with this stranger. "Be my mate." She felt her self-control snap right before she lunged towards him, fists flaming.

He was quick, especially for his size and lack of blood. Before her fist could connect with his face his hand grabbed her by the forearm. She went to swing her other fist and he caught her again.

"Got you." Alistair said with a cocky grin. Bella sneered at him before smiling arrogantly back. A second later Alistair's hands were on fire as the flame traveled down from her hands to the rest of her arms, leaving her unharmed, but burning the sleeves of her shirt off. He quickly let go of her and Bella jumped backwards, pleased by his look of shock. Alistair looked at his hands. They were slowly healing, but he could tell scars would form there.

Bella started laughing and the flames died down on her skin.

"Now are you going to leave?" Bella asked.

"I said I'd stay here until you told me your name. I meant that."

Bella believed him.

"Fine. My name is Bella. Now go." Alistair nodded with a large smile before turning away from her and heading back to his territory.

Bella hoped that she'd never see him again, but knew that was unlikely.

* * *

**I won't be able to update this week due to a crap load of school work. Sorry!  
**


	21. Chapter 21

1600s

Two weeks later Bella saw Alistair standing outside of her territory again, this time with a human at his feet.

"I've brought you a gift, Bella." Alistair said, as smoothly as he could. He had spent his two weeks away from her planning and locating as many delectable smelling humans as he could. Bella had to admit that even with her self-control the human did smell absolutely mouth watering. She turned her nose up at him and the human, who looked like he was knocked unconscious. "If you don't drink him he'll just go to waste. I got him just for you."

"I don't want anything from you other than your absence." Bella said while growling.

"Are you sure?" Alistair asked as he placed his foot on the human's head.

"Completely." Before she could even finish the word Alistair smashed the human's head underfoot. "You know you never even told me your name." Bella said, more to distract herself from the blood that was pouring out than from curiosity.

"Ah, sorry, I don't usually interact with others-"

"Clearly."

"I'm Alistair, your future mate." His confidence annoyed her so she went to leave. "Such a waste." Alistair said, almost in a teasing manner as the body cooled and he scooped it up. "No matter though, I'll be back tomorrow with a fresh one for you."

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**Sorry for the slow updates. The next 10 days will have spotty updates due to lots of things needing my attention. Hope you liked the chapter!**


	22. Chapter 22

1600s

True to his word Alistair was back the following day, with an even more delectable human in tow. This time it was a squirming female. She was crying as he dragged her behind him.

"Bella! Bella! Bella!" Alistair shouted into the forest. The way he dragged out her name only served to annoy Bella. "I've brought you another." Alistair ran a nail down the side of the woman's face causing her to scream and blood to be drawn.

He stood right at the edge of her territory. Bella was watching him covertly from a tree. Every few hours he would shout her name. A day passed and the human was practically dead from fear and lack of nutrition.

Alistair was bored and very tempted to go into Bella's territory just to hunt her down so that she'd accept his gift. He knew that was a bad idea though. He was about to shout for her again when he heard the sound of running. A few minutes later five Volturi guards came into his line of vision.

Alistair broke the human's legs so she couldn't run away then turned to the five males. Bella looked on attentively, curious to see how he would handle the situation.

The guards weren't stupid. They formed a large circle around Alistair. He growled when he saw one of them look at Bella's gift hungrily. They were obviously young by the way the human was distracting them. He quickly grew impatient when they didn't immediately attack, so he took matters into his own hands, attacking two of them at once.

Bella was… impressed by his fighting skills. He seemed to overshadow all the other vampires, both in his height and fighting skills.

* * *

**What do you think? **


	23. Chapter 23

1600s

Half a year passed with Alistair offering her scrumptious humans that she never accepted. He'd always stay at the edge of her territory until the human died of malnutrition. Then he'd haul the corpse off only to return the next day with a new human.

Alistair's territorial lines had faded long ago due to his lack of remarking his borders. His first priority was getting Bella as his mate, even if it took him more years than he'd been alive.

* * *

In Volterra Aro looked at a report confused and with worry. It said that the vampire he wanted as part of his guard had given up his territory and was now standing vigil outside of Bella's territory, courting her. If those two joined up that vampire would forever be out of his reach.

Part of the deal he made with Bella was that he'd never bother her or her's.

With that new knowledge he decided to send out his elite guards Jane and Alec to put an end to this. He also decided to send Chelsea with them to tie that vampire to the Volturi forever.

* * *

Jane and Alec were excited to be outside of the castle, though Chelsea was dreading it. She had long ago grown accustomed to the lavish ways of the Volturi. With them were seven of their best guards. The run was long and most of the time Jane and Alec talked to each other, completely ignoring the other guards.

Jane became tense when she caught Bella's scent. They had worked together various times, especially when Jane was just a newborn. She was one of the few people that knew of her and Alec's weakness. Why Aro ever let her live was beyond her.

Alec was less concerned. From his memories of Bella he figured she wouldn't even acknowledge them unless they went into her territory.

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**Whatcha think?**


	24. Chapter 24

1600s

Bella smelled them before she spotted them. Was this the day Aro made his ultimate folly and tried to eliminate her? Bella chuckled at the thought, as if he'd ever be that foolish. They were most likely coming to either finally kill or take Alistair away. Either way she won.

She decided to get a good seat for the show.

A few minutes later she spied ten vampires, four of which she recognized. Aro was really pulling out his best for this mission.

The ten almost moved flawlessly together. Chelsea lagged behind and was pouting. Bella could tell she hadn't changed at all from the coddled girl Bella remembered her as.

Alistair growled loudly at the oncoming vampires, sensing that this attack was different than the others. Chelsea stood far back from all of them with her own personal guard as the other eight formed a circle around Alistair.

"Aro says this is your last chance to join the Volturi of your own free will. If you refuse you will die this day." Jane said with a commanding voice. Alistair just chuckled at the little girl. "Very well then." That was Chelsea's que. She huffed in annoyance before focusing on binding the savage looking vampire to her then Jane and Alec.

Alistair could sense something was wrong, he suddenly didn't hate the female that was far off in the distance. His mind told him this wasn't right so he focused on hating her, his gift of willpower slowly coming to life.

Chelsea gasped as she felt her work being reversed. She knew about his gift, but she didn't think it would actually counter her own.

"Distract him!" Chelsea squeaked out as she tried to concentrate on manipulating his relationships. Alec released his gift and Alistair saw the slow moving fog. He jumped up into a tree right before Jane's gift hit him full force. Only through his sheer willpower he was able to fight the pain and hold onto the tree branch. One of the guards lunged at him and he disposed of him with only one hand.

Bella arched herself higher to get a better view of the show. She was surprised he was lasting so long.

The fog started drifting up the trunk of the tree. Alistair hopped to a different one. He found the longer the small female used her gift on him the less it hurt.

"Damn it, Alec! Hurry up!" Jane said while growling. She was throwing everything she had at the lone vampire and he was only grimacing. "The rest of you attack him!" Of the last five surrounded Alistair one of them was smart enough to fall all the trees around them so Alistair couldn't jump to them.

Alistair cursed silently to himself as another Volturi member attacked him and he swiftly beheaded him. The shimmering fog was growing closer and he had nowhere to run. He had no idea what it would do, but he knew it wouldn't benefit him at all.

He decided to attack head on. Alistair pushed against the tree causing it to fall over and for him to fly towards Alec. Alec looked shock, before he grinned in victory. The closer the fog was to its master the faster he could move it. Just as Alistair landed on him fog started pouring out of Alec's skin, blinding Alistair to all sensations.

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**Dislike, like, or love this chapter? **


	25. Chapter 25

1600s

The loss of his senses startled Alistair, but he could still remember what he'd seen and felt before the emptiness set in. He knew that one of his hands was gripping the boy's arm and the other his shoulder. He moved on instinct, pulling Alec's arm off. He could imagine it all in his mind, even if he couldn't tell if he was even gripping anything.

Alec screamed in fear and pain. He'd never lost a limb before. His sister was even more scared than he was. She jumped onto Alistair's back to behead him when a voice stopped her.

"Now Jane I'm sure Aro made it quite clear that your first order of business was to make sure Chelsea was unharmed."Jane looked up startled. Chelsea's guard was ash and Bella was wrapped around Chelsea, ready to light up at any second. "And don't even try to bond me to you. If I feel even the slightest twist of my relationships I'll burn you." Bella whispered into Chelsea's ear as she watched Jane.

"Bella?" Jane asked over Alec, who was still screaming as Alistair dug his nails into him and swiped blindly.

"I claim that male as my mate. That means he's mine. If you kill him I'll have no qualms killing you all, even if it brings down the wrath of the Volturi on me."

"But he's hurting Alec." Jane's voice was weak and childish, startling the few remaining guards.

"Alec release him." Bella growled out and Alec complied, both out of pain and because she used to be his commander.

Alistair's vision slowly came back to him. When he saw Alec's blurry image he started pulling him apart.

"Stop it!" Jane cried out. She threw her gift at him, but he didn't even flinch.

"Alistair!" Bella shouted, just barely cutting through his faded hearing. "Let him go! They've surrendered." Alistair wanted to hear the boy scream in pain more, but his want for Bella was greater, so he let him go. Alec crumpled to the ground and Jane pulled him up, holding him together. He was mending quickly due to his recent hunt.

Alistair walked over to her, on wobbly feet, his senses still not completely back yet. Bella was still wrapped around Chelsea.

"What should we do?" One of the guards whispered as he looked at Jane and Alec. They were ordered to protect Chelsea, but not to interact in any way with Bella.

"If you run back to your masters and you're ungifted they'll kill you for letting Chelsea be caught." Bella said matter-of-factly as she caressed the side of Chelsea's face, the faintest heat sizzling her skin yet did not actually burn her. The remaining guards looked at each other, knowing she was right. They ran off in the opposite direction of Italy without looking back. Bella let go of Chelsea and Chelsea fell to her knees more scared than she'd ever been before. "If you feel your relationships being changed behead her." Bella said as she passed Alistair he nodded and grabbed the petite female by her throat and lifted her up.

Bella walked over to Jane and Alec. Jane was helping her brother stand. Her eyes grew wide when she saw Bella drawing closer.

"Please come back with us, Bella. I've missed you!" Jane begged. Bella's face was blank. With a quick motion Bella back handed Jane, causing her to fly backwards.

"You let Chelsea be captured. You should be glad I'm no longer a part of the Volturi. If you had done so under my watch I'd torture you for at least a year." Bella said as Jane started getting back up.

"Please Bel-"

"You're on my territory, bothering my peace. Leave and take that brat with you." Bella pointed at Chelsea.

Jane sighed sadly before nodding and complying.

* * *

**So Bella said Alistair was her mate, but he was deaf at the time... Liked how this chapter went down?  
**


	26. Chapter 26

1600s

"You helped me." Alistair said while grinning like an idiot after the Volturi left. Bella ignored him and walked to where he'd left the crippled human that was meant as her gift. She lifted him up easily before slicing his neck open and drank deeply. After she was finished she dropped the empty corpses onto the ground.

"Consider that my payment for services rendered, not me accepting any of your gifts." Bella said while growling. "If you haven't noticed yet you're in my territory, and I don't take kindly to that." Alistair quickly moved the two steps it took to cross the border. He could tell Bella immediately relaxed a bit.

"When are you going to admit that we're mates?" He asked while looking down at her. They'd never been so close together and not fighting. She was so small, yet he knew she was deadly.

Bella looked up at him and sneered. She was rather attracted to him, not that she'd ever admit that.

"I'll make you a deal. If you can defeat me in battle I'll _consider _thinking about the possibility of you being my mate and yes, I will be using my gift." Bella half hoped he'd back down, but she also hoped he'd accept. His grin was all the confirmation she needed. "Good, Alec's gift won't wear off completely for at least another hour. Go and hunt, your eyes are dark. I'll meet you here tomorrow and we can finally settle this."

* * *

**So I just had to have them fight at least one more time! What do you think of Bella's challenge?  
**


	27. Chapter 27

1600s

Exactly 24 hours later Alistair appeared wearing the same annoying grin as last time. The only difference in his appearance was his bright red eyes and he'd pulled his hair back and out of the way. Bella was surprised and pleased with his face now that it wasn't hidden by his tangled mane.

She stepped out of her territory.

"How will we tell which one of us wins?" Alistair asked as he watched her. She moved so gracefully.

"Have you never had a match before?" Bella's voice was amused.

"No, I taught myself how to fight." Bella made a humming noise, considering this new bit of information. His fighting style did look unrefined, yet effective.

"No matter." She brushed aside the issue. "One wins by brushing their teeth on the neck of their opponent or by their opponent giving up." Alistair nodded, those rules were easy enough for him. "Are you ready?" Alistair nodded. "Good." Bella's hands and feet lit up and Alistair wondered how much of her body she could encompass in flames. Before he could ponder that thought further Bella started running towards him.

She feinted a high jab with her right hand, but he read her movement and blocked her low left kick. He tried sweeping her legs out from under her, but Bella hopped up and landed on his foot, searing it before he could retract his foot. He hissed more in annoyance then actual pain.

Bella started an onslaught of jabs and quick spinning kicks, but Alistair kept moving backwards and out of her range. It was infuriating.

Alistair watched her lethal movements, analyzing her patterns. He was completely calm and that only made Bella angrier when another of her swipes did not meet flesh.

"Fight me! Or have you already given up?" Bella shouted, her movements becoming more rapid as her fury grew. He didn't respond, merely continuing backing away from her. Alistair grew more impressed as she continued keeping her moves smooth and clean despite her clear frustration.

Five minutes passed and Alistair knew it was time to make his move. He leapt forward and Bella's eyes widened in surprise. She had unconsciously assumed that he'd given up directly attacking her. Before he made contact all of Bella's skin erupted into flames.

Alistair had hoped her flames were only localized in her arms and feet, but knew there was the risk that she could completely encompass herself in fire. That small detail wouldn't stop his plan though. He grabbed onto her arms, locking them against her body before he jumped with her in his hands.

Bella was stunned when she felt water envelope them, quelling her flames. A second later she felt Alistair's teeth rake against her throat.

* * *

**Clever boy... Do you like Alistair's plan?**


	28. Chapter 28

1600s

Alistair pulled them out of the small pond, feeling victorious. Bella sputtered up the water that had filled her lungs when she gasped in surprise when she first felt the water.

He covertly stared at her naked form. Her fire had burned away the loose layer of clothing that hid her. When they were underwater her skin had felt so warm despite her flames being extinguished.

Bella was growling at him in annoyance. She hadn't actually expected to lose. She hadn't lost in a fight in nearly a millennium.

"Give me your coat." Bella said through her growl. Alistair tossed it to her. It completely engulfed her and smelled like him, dried blood, venom, and smoke. It was a nice combination. Bella turned towards her territory as she swept her wet hair out of her face.

"Wait, I won." Alistair said as he ran to her side.

"My exact words were 'if you can defeat me in battle I'll _consider _thinking about the possibility of you being my mate'. Now that you've somehow won I'll actually decide whether I want you as my mate or not."

"And how long will that take you?"

"Less time if you'd stop talking to me." Bella glanced at him and he had a very patient look on his face. "Bring me the best smelling human you can find tomorrow in our usual spot then I'll tell you my answer." Alistair could accept that. He nodded before running in the opposite direction of her territory.

* * *

**Next chapter: Bella's contemplations. **


	29. Chapter 29

1600s

Bella sat in her chair contemplating her situation. She _had_ already told the Volturi that Alistair was her mate. And he did defeat her in fair combat. She felt so stupid for assuming that he was retreating when he was really leading her to a pond.

Bella could see in his eyes how much he enjoyed a good fight and she liked that. He defied the Volturi, fighting them off for at least as long as she'd lived on her new territory. He seemed to enjoy making her angry. Yes, she could see herself enjoying him for many years, perhaps even enjoying his presence for centuries.

The day passed too quickly for her liking.

Alistair arrived at their spot only a few minutes after her.

The best smelling human he could find was a little girl no older than eight, and she did smell _so_ good. He handed the child over to Bella who bit into her throat without hesitation. She dropped the empty human to the ground soon after.

"There is only one more requirement for you to be my mate." Bella said and Alistair raised his eyebrow at her in question. "You have to be a proficient lover." Bella grinned before jumping him.

* * *

**What do ya think?  
**


	30. Chapter 30

1600s

Aro was annoyed by this turn of events. One of his guards had reported that Bella's territory had expanded substantially and that the border was defined by a mix of Alistair's and Bella's scent. He hadn't believed Jane's memories of Bella saying he was her mate, but this proved it. Now that gifted vampire would forever be out of his reach.

On the other hand he had Carlisle now.

According to the memories Aro read it had only been a year since Carlisle met Bella, yet he was almost a completely different person. This new Carlisle was much more confident and entertaining. He flirted with the single female vampires in the coven, but always turned down their advances. He theorized on ways to improve the medical field. And he was just too interesting of a man for Aro not to like him. Carlisle always made him think, despite their large difference in age.

Aro was also surprised, yet pleased with the level of control Carlisle had over his bloodlust. It already was exemplary when he first arrived, but his time around the blood that was often spilt in the castle made him almost immune to the scent.

They spoke almost every day and Aro even considered Carlisle to be one of his few friends. He was sad knowing that one day Carlisle would eventually leave once he had learned all he could here.

As a way to stave off that day Aro had many of his guards leave in search of new books and ideas.

* * *

**Aro has a bit of a man-crush on Carlisle.  
**


	31. Chapter 31

1700s

Over the years Carlisle had become Aro's main confidant. He had told him about everything excluding the circumstances of Didyme's death and Bella's time as a member of the Volturi. In return Carlisle shared all his hopes and dreams with Aro.

Carlisle was set on the idea of going to see Bella, despite Aro's pleading. Aro knew that if Carlisle saw with his own eyes how the world had advanced while he was cooped up in the Volturi castle reading that he'd want to finally set out on his own.

"You must visit us soon, Carlisle." Caius said, figuring he wouldn't be coming back for at least two centuries, despite all the bribes Aro was trying to give Carlisle to make him come back. He was close to having Chelsea bind him to the Volturi, but he didn't want to force his friendship with Carlisle.

Aro was mainly worried about Carlisle's hope of rejoining Bella and work as a doctor on her territory. If Bella accepted him as part of her coven then due to his deal with her he'd never be able to talk to him again.

Of course he couldn't tell Carlisle this though. That would just lead to questions that Aro would rather not have to deal with.

So with much sadness Aro bid farewell to Carlisle.

* * *

**Sad time for Aro.  
**


	32. Chapter 32

1700s

Carlisle felt an excited apprehension at the thought of seeing Bella. To Carlisle she was his teacher, first real friend, and the first person he had amorous feelings with. He couldn't call her a lover though. She was too cold for such a word to apply.

He liked her though, despite her blunt methods and crass remarks.

Carlisle wanted to show her everything he had learned, how far he had come from that silly boy she first met outside of her territory.

The long run to her territory only served to make him more anxious. He started imagining scenarios from Bella cursing at him and not letting him onto her territory to her confessing her undying love to him. He shook his head and chuckled at the thought of her saying something so tender and kind. Neither of those words applied to her. She was straightforward and effective.

As he got closer a frown started forming on his pristine face. He couldn't smell her at all. When he finally reached her territory he realized she hadn't been there for at least a year. Carlisle ran to her house only to find it burned down.

His disappointment turned into worry. He knew she could take care of herself, but he couldn't help but think of what may have caused her to abandon her territory. He leaned against a tree contemplating his options. Part of him wanted to go back to the Volturi to ask for their assistance in finding Bella, but the few times he mentioned her to any of them they changed the subject almost immediately.

So instead he decided to do what he had planned to do after his visit, he was going to roam the world healing people.

* * *

**So what happened to Bella and Alistair? Any guesses?  
**

**This week is my exam week so updates aren't guaranteed. **


	33. Chapter 33

1800s

"I hate you!" Bella said as she hissed at her mate. He was holding her up by her slender arms and had her pressed against the wall, leaving her feet dangling.

"If you really hate me then burn me alive." Alistair whispered to her as he nuzzled her neck. In response Bella thrust her knee into his stomach. He was expecting it and had his abs already clenched. Her hit only barely hurt.

"You burned my favorite book." Bella growled at him. "Just like you burned my favorite college and my dwellings."

"You're still mad about that?" Alistair said before he started nipping at her neck, making Bella moan. "That was more than a century ago." He whispered. Bella clenched her teeth remembering the fight that caused him to set fire to the college on her old territory that she usually stole her books from. Once it was gone she had no reason to stay there anymore.

Now they were nomads simply due to the fact that every decade Alistair liked changing a human then hunting them down only to kill them. Bella enjoyed the game too. She often pretended to have finished changing just before their prey did, then spun a story about how Alistair had promised to hunt them down and that they were better off working together rather than splitting up. It was a sick pleasure that she and her mate liked.

Their relationship was in a constant cycle of teasing, arguing, fighting, and then making up. It was unconventional, but Bella had never had as much fun in her long existence then when she was with him.

He indulged her strange behaviors and she begrudgingly loved him back.

* * *

**2 out of 5 exams completed! **

**Next chapter… Jasper! **


	34. Chapter 34

1800s

Maria was as usual acting completely unhinged, like the world was seconds away from ending. Her emotions were always all over the place, but for once Jasper couldn't fault her for her lack of control. He was more than a little disturbed as well.

The night of that battle had started out normally. Their side was doing brilliantly, mostly due to the training Jasper gave the newborns and because of his gift. Maria was more of a behind the scene leader, planning the various campaigns.

As the battle went on Jasper was completely focused on pulling apart his enemies when he felt a ton of confusion and an upping in fear. There was a faint trace of entertained joy that confused him. He scanned the area, looking for the source of the change. Then he saw… well he was still unsure what he saw.

At first he only spotted the small female. Her hands had been on fire and the flames seemed to be reflected in her eyes that were too dim to be a newborn's. The fire cast her face in a glowing, shifting light, making her look even more ethereal and demonic. Then he spotted a hulking shadow behind her that her small form could never cast.

The two moved in sync, destroying any and all vampires that were in their path. The realization that they were not on either side only made Jasper more worried. At least with his enemies he knew what their goal was. These two just seemed to be moving in a straight line through the battlefield.

Unwillingly his eyes met the female's. The fire seemed to grow brighter as she smiled in a malevolent yet mischievous way. She started turning in his direction and he knew he had to do something soon. He pushed all the lethargy and calmness he could at her. Her eyes drooped, her steps faltered, and her flames went out. Her shadow spotted her change in behavior immediatly. He scooped her up and his anger flared.

Jasper focused his gift on the giant shadow as he took down another newborn that foolishly attacked him. The shadow growled deeply as Jasper's gift took effect, but then his gift slowly started being pushed out of his target, startling Jasper. In his peripheral he could see the shadow's blood red eyes scanning the area looking for the one using the gift.

Before Jasper could be spotted Maria called for a retreat. Jasper gladly followed her.

He shuttered at the memory. It was the first time in years he had truly been scared for his life.

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**What did ya think of this scene?  
**


	35. Chapter 35

1900s

Aro sighed as he put down the report. He was happy for his friend Carlisle, but now that he had started a coven and found a mate it was unlikely that he'd visit anytime soon, and even if he did it would most likely be a short visit, a year at most.

The second report he picked up also made him sigh as he read its contents. Bella was ravaging towns with her mate randomly. Well more accurately they were creating newborns then letting them run crazy. She always cleaned up any humans that saw them, but it was still a dilemma for him.

Caius was urging him to send out guards to dispatch her, or at the very least warn her to stop her foolish actions. She _had _to know the bind she was putting him in. He couldn't tell his brothers that he couldn't interfere with her. That would lead to questions and those questions could lead to the truth of Didyme's death being revealed. But if he did nothing his brothers would eventually start prodding him to do so, or worse order the guards to act without Aro's knowledge.

For the third time in the past five minutes he sighed again.

Aro hadn't parted with Bella on bad terms when he released her from the Volturi, but they hadn't exactly been friends. She had been one of the first vampires to join the Volturi and a key player in its rise to power. Bella had pushed the idea of keeping vampires a secret, and this was the reasoning Aro used to get his brothers to stop urging him to kill her.

So instead he chose his most trusted guard, Jane, to deliver a plea to Bella asking for her to tune down her games and if she was going to continue to do so to please do them far from Italy, preferably in an uninhibited area.

And his plea seemed to work. Half a century went by and not a single new report came in about her actions. He assumed Bella and her mate hadn't stopped their games, just took them to quieter places.

* * *

**Another chapter with a character we haven't seen in this fic yet. Any guesses? **


	36. Chapter 36

2000s

Edward maneuvered his brand new car down the empty highway, feeling exhilarated. It was pitch black outside and he didn't have the headlights on. Rose had really done a good job picking out the car for his 100th birthday. Emmett laughed loudly in the passenger seat as Edward took a turn hard enough to cause two of the tires to lift off the ground for a split second. The giant red bow on top of the car flapped in the high speed wind, before completely coming off, only making the two of them laugh harder.

It really had been the perfect day. He hadn't been expecting the surprise party considering none of them celebrated their birthdays, but apparently turning one century was worth noting. It was the best day he'd had in a very long time, not that the rest of his days were all that bad. He had a loving family. Though being the only unmated member did on occasions make things difficult.

Edward was laughing so hard at the story Emmett was telling him that he didn't notice the flash of white in his peripheral vision until the vampire jumped onto the hood of his car, denting it.

"Shit!" Emmett shouted as Edward swerved the car, completely caught off guard. For a brief second when he met the brown eyes of the woman he thought she was a human, before he saw the tinges of red and orange. He hit the brakes, pushing the pedal to the floorboard. The sudden jolt caused the female to clutch onto the car, causing it even more damage.

"Carlilse…" The female said with a soft voice that didn't match her sinful smile, "where is he?"

* * *

**Obviously the female is Bella. Any guesses on why her eyes are the color they are? Or where Alistair is?  
**


	37. Chapter 37

2000s

"Fuck." Edward whispered as he leaned back in his seat, making it the twelfth time he'd cursed in his immortal existence. He glanced back out the windshield, unsure of whether this woman had really just jumped on his car.

_'Strange-fast trinket, humans-pah! … faint scent.'_ The woman thought and an image of Carlisle smiling flashed through her mind. Most of her thoughts were in foreign languages Edward didn't recognize, making it hard for him to read her. Her thoughts seemed to slur the different languages together.

She was just staring at the two of them, one eyebrow raised in question.

"Uhh, yeah, Carlisle is at work right now-" Edward stuttered out, looking at the disheveled female as she crouched on the hood of the now dented car. An image of Carlisle leaning over a corpse with a knife came into her mind and immediately into Edward's, making him freeze. "I don't think it would be a good idea for us to take you to a hospital. There is a lot of blood there." The female scoffed.

_'Doctor? I should have known.'_ She laughed in her mind while grinning silently.

"That matters not, take me to him." She said while waving a dismissive hand. Edward and Emmett looked at each other.

_'Is this chick for real?'_ Emmett asked silently.

"His shift should be ending soon. Then he'll go to our house. We can drive you there, if you like?"

_'Drive, dreiban, push from behind? He shall not push me if that's what he's suggesting.'_ Her thoughts were starting to consist more of English the longer they spoke.

"If you get into the back of the car- umm, chariot then it will take us to the house." Edward explained. Emmett got out of the car and opened the door for her. She jumped off the car, causing the metal to groan in protest, then landed right in front of the door. She was looking at the interior with suspicion before an image of a family riding in a Model-T came to mind, easing her mistrust.

* * *

**What do ya think?  
**


	38. Chapter 38

2000s

"So I'm Emmett and this is Edward." Emmett said while looking into the back of the car. The female was watching the surroundings fly by.

Her thoughts consisted solely of criticism and questions about the vehicle they were traveling in, giving nothing away about her intention. Her thoughts suddenly shifted to a book and she started rereading it silently from memory.

"What's your name, miss?"

_"Wait! What's your name? I'm Carlisle Cullen."_ The sound of his father's voice from her mind made Edward feel slightly better about taking this stranger to their home.

She scoffed and didn't respond.

Edward was annoyed with how little he was getting from her thoughts as she continued 'reading'.

He was relieved when they got to the house and saw that no one was there, in case things got dangerous. Edward figured he and Emmett could fight and win against her if it came to that, but if Esme or Alice was here… well they were the weakest fighters in the family.

She bolted out of the car when they stopped, and Edward was just grateful that she had used the door instead of jumping through the glass window. With quick, light footsteps she went to the front of the house. She casually jiggled the locked handle of the front door. Before Edward could tell her to wait she wrenched the door open, splintering the doorframe.

"I thought you said he'd be here. He's not here." The female said as she placed her hands on her hips and looked at the front room.

_'Strange, two? The desert maybe' _Bella breathed in deeply.

"Carlisle should be back soon." Emmett said calmly. Bella growled more in annoyance than anger.

"Fine! But if he is not here in an hour I shall not be very happy!" Before either of them could respond she ran upstairs and into Carlisle's study.

_'Stupid- Ah! What is he reading now-a-days?' _Her thoughts eased to a murmur as she picked up one of his books and started reading.

* * *

**What do you think?  
**


	39. Chapter 39

2000s

Carlisle pulled off his scrubs, feeling pleased with the surgeries he had preformed earlier. He wasn't used to having such a short shift, but it had been worth it to see the look on Edward's face when they surprised him, which was a very hard feat considering his gift.

Esme had been so pleased with herself and the rest of the family for keeping their thoughts on other things. Of course, Edward could have been faking his shock in order to make the rest of the family happy. Carlisle could see him doing that, but he hoped he had been genuinely surprised.

He parked his sports car next to Edward's and did a double take when he saw it through his window. The front of it looked like a boulder had fallen on it. Carlisle chuckled. Rosalie would not be too happy about that.

As he opened the door he froze, a familiar scent catching him off guard. He glanced up and saw Edward waiting on the porch, a worried frown on his face.

Carlisle hadn't _exactly _told his family about his time with Bella. It hadn't been out of shame, but more of an embarrassed sense of naivety he had about that whole half a year. He had been so uneducated before he met her.

"Dad, I don't know who she is-" Edward began, but Carlisle waved him off, following Bella's scent trail upstairs. He should have figured that she'd go for the area with the most books. His warm smile confused Edward.

"Bella?" He asked while standing in the doorway of his study. Bella was curled up in his chair with a book open in front of her. It was an image he had seen a thousand times before and it brought him a sense of fondness that good memories always did.

"Hmm?" She responded without looking up from her book. He laughed and she turned a page.

Edward looked completely baffled when Carlisle closed the door and went downstairs.

* * *

**Sorry for the delay! Had an impromptu visit to the beach. **

**What do you think of their reactions?  
**


	40. Chapter 40

2000s

"Who the hell is she?" Emmett asked bluntly, mirroring Edward's thoughts.

"Ah, well you see…" Carlisle began, unsure of how to properly describe Bella. "I met her before the Volturi, actually she's the one that told me about them…" In a very human like mannerism Carlisle rubbed the back of his neck. "She was… my teacher, in… actually in everything." He chuckled nervously, not wanting to say more.

"And you never mentioned her to us before?" Edward said while looking at his father. He'd never seen Carlisle look so awkward before.

"Well it was only half a year…"

"But she taught you _everything_ how could you not tell us about her?" An image of Bella holding a dismembered bloody finger as she smirked made Edward scrunch up his face in confusion. "She's the one that helped you with your blood lust control? I always assumed you just did that on your own. I guess that's where you got your method of us getting used to the scent of human blood by you holding a vial of it in front of us." Edward was starting to get angry. He thought he'd known everything about Carlisle's past, then _she _showed up, practically out of nowhere.

"My stories about Bella, aren't all that family friendly. I knew we'd run into her eventually, I guess I just never got around to talking about her." Edward had never seen Carlisle nervous before. "The time I was with her didn't even make up a quarter of a percent of all the time I've been alive." Carlisle said weakly. Edward gave him a look of disbelief before giving up and going outside to try and fix the dent in the car before Rose got back. Emmett just glanced at Carlisle then the stairs before sitting on one of the sofas and turning on the TV.

Carlisle could hear her upstairs, turning another page. He laughed realizing that having her around made him feel like a naïve boy again.

* * *

**Hope you like it!  
**


	41. Chapter 41

2000s

Alice was whistling a happy tune as Jasper carried her on his shoulders. They were ambling through the forest towards the house, both having just fed. Alice's whistling paused before she started giggling. Jasper waited silently for her to fill him in.

"I just saw Edward roll his eyes at Carlisle before going outside to the car Rose just got him. It has a giant ding on it. She's going to be so mad!" Alice began giggling again and Jasper grinned, starting back at his slow walk.

A few minutes later Rose and Esme joined them. Jasper enjoyed the calming emotions everyone was putting off. Gradually he felt other emotions as more vampires were in the range of his gift.

"I think we have a guest." He said as he tried to concentrate more on the four very distinct emotions that were coming from the house. The first and also the strongest was annoyance, then there was a nervous anxiety, a calmness tinged with curiosity, and finally a nirvana like peace that almost made him stumble. He had never felt such an all encompassing peace.

"Are you alright?" Alice asked, sensing the subtle change in her mate.

"Better than okay, actually." He said before quickening his pace, wanting to find the source of such a divine serenity that seemed to smother all the other emotions he was sensing.

Just like in Alice vision Edward was trying to remove the large dent from his new car.

"Carlisle's old friend is here." Edward mumbled, still looking at his car.

"Oh, really? Which one?" Esme asked pleasantly. Edward chuckled humorlessly.

"You'll have to ask him that." Jasper shrugged at Edward, used to his odd behavior. Alice hopped off his shoulders and they all started walking towards the house. He loved how she was always so happy.

Carlisle was pacing in the front room. When Esme entered the room he went over to her and gave her a loving kiss. Her emotions lit up. Rose joined her husband on the sofa, not really caring about whoever the guest was.

"Bella, my friend from before I met the Volturi is upstairs." Carlisle said.

"Well then let's go meet her." Alice said while walking towards the stairs. Carlisle stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.

"She's reading right now, so uhh, it would be a bad idea to interrupt her." Alice looked baffled at Carlisle.

"Don't be silly, Dad. I'm sure she's eager to meet us, just nervous." Alice skipped up the stairs and Carlisle followed her with a sigh, Jasper walking next to him. She flung open the door to Carlisle's study. "Hello! I'm Alice!"

Jasper's eyes immediately went pitch black when he saw the woman sitting in Carlisle's seat. He grabbed Alice by her wrist and pulled her behind him as he started growling. Bella didn't look up from her books, and her emotions were still tranquil.

"Jasper don't growl at her!" Carlisle said while stepping in front of the doorway, blocking his view.

"You don't understand, Carlisle she was there, she was in the South." Jasper's words were muddled with growls. "I only saw her once, but she was a force to be reckoned with." He suddenly remembered the dark figure that loomed behind her. "Shit, where is he, where is her shadow?" He asked while looking around.

"Jasper please calm down. Bella would never hurt someone who's part of my family." Carlisle said, not denying the possibility of Bella participating in the Southern Wars.

"She and her shadow destroyed a quarter of my forces and even more on my enemy's side!"

The soft thump of a book being closed made Jasper tense up.

"Oh you were in those scuffles?" Bella said, not moving from her spot. "I thought I recognized your scent." Her voice was very matter-of-fact. "And as for my 'shadow', well he's not here." Jasper suddenly felt her vicious anger when she said shadow. He pushed Alice back further from the demonic woman.

* * *

**What do you think of Jasper's reaction?  
**


	42. Chapter 42

2000s

"Since I can no longer properly read in silence I suppose I'll have to meet your coven now, Carlisle." Bella said in an annoyed voice. Jasper was still growling at her, but it was now almost just a hum.

"We're a family here, Bella." Carlisle said as he smiled at Esme who had just joined them. Bella scoffed. "I see your eye color has changed. Are you thinking of converting to my diet?" He asked hopefully.

"Of course not! I've merely not had enough time to feed as I would wish to, so I partook in lesser meals." She glanced at Esme with a smile. "Is this lovely girl your mate?" Esme was a bit taken aback at being called a girl, but grinned none the less.

"Yes, Esme is my wife and my mate." Bella got out of the seat to greet Esme.

"I'm glad you two found each other! And have such a big 'family'. Aro must be having an ulcer worrying about your great numbers. Ah, that reminds me, Carlisle, how did you like your time with the Volturi?"

"It was both informative and enjoyable." Carlisle said.

"Just as I hoped then." Carlisle introduced the rest of his family to her, and she gave them all smiles. "With that annoying ritual out of the way I believe I'll commandeer your office and resume my studies. I'm sure you don't mind, Carlisle."

"Of course not, I'll go and get you some of the books stored in the basement."

* * *

**Surprised by Bella's reason for having brown eyes.  
**

******Btw, I have a poll on my profile about my next twilight fic. Please vote!**


	43. Chapter 43

2000s

"Why are you being so nice to her?" Jasper asked. It was a question that Edward and Rosalie were thinking.

"You don't seem to understand how important she was, and still is to me." Carlisle said as he walked down the stairs. "Without her I would probably be dead by now. She taught me everything. She was the one who suggested I become a doctor." He grinned thinking about the memory. "You don't have to worry about her hurting us, Jasper."

"Her hands were on fire and she wasn't burning!" Jasper shouted. Edward grimaced as he saw the memory of that day in Jasper's head.

"Yes, her gift is fascinating. Knowing Bella as I do, she will probably leave once she's learned everything she can here. It's best to just bring all the books we can find in the house and leave her be."

"But she hunts humans, you need to tell her she can't hunt here."

"She already knows. Even though I don't have the area marked it is obviously ours. Bella would never hunt in someone else's territory unless she was looking for a fight." Carlisle grabbed two large boxes, then handed one to Edward. "Come on help me bring these to her." Edward let out a frustrated sigh, not believing that Carlisle was just going to let this vampire completely take over his office. Jasper was growling again.

"Fine! I'm taking Alice with me and we'll stay at the house in New York. I'm not going to wait for her shadow to come here and burn the whole house down." Jasper said as he ran back up the stairs. "Call me when she's gone."

* * *

**I'm sorry to say that this story only has a few more chapters to it. I'm thinking about tacking on a long chapter about Bella becoming a vampire at the end. Anyone interested? **


	44. Chapter 44

2000s

Esme was saddened by Jasper's and Alice's departure, but she knew she'd see them again sooner rather than later. She kept asking Carlisle questions about Bella, more out of curiosity than suspicion. She had never heard of her before. Carlisle gave her vague answers. It didn't help that his knowledge about Bella was very limited. He knew a bit about her gift and where she used to live, but he had no idea how old she was. He suspected that she once spent a fair amount of time with the Volturi by the way she talked about them.

To Edward her thoughts were a catacomb of dead languages and it only made him more and more curious about her.

She had been cooped up in Carlisle's study for almost two weeks and he was worried that she'd snap from her lack of blood, but her thoughts were always calm. It never crossed her mind, from what Edward could decipher at least, that she was even the slightest bit thirsty.

Edward was very curious about Bella. From what he saw she had no scars despite participating in the Southern Wars. She never thought about her time there. Some of the brief flashes of memories he caught were of a night sky that was so clear that it was breathtaking. He had never seen the stars look so beautiful.

He enjoyed the few times he could understand Bella's thoughts, especially when she compared what she was reading with something she read long ago. She'd draw parallels, apply theories to the real world, and make discoveries that were mind boggling to Edward. He could see why Carlisle would admire her. If she taught him everything she knew… well, Edward got a new appreciation for his father's intellect.

Her thoughts did sometimes turn to darker matters. She often thought about hunting down other vampires and destroying them or at the very least fighting them. There were memories of her with Jane at various places, overlooking a few vampires they were about to kill. He caught a few images that matched up with 'her shadow' as Jasper called him. He was always smirking, but Edward never heard her think his name.

The thoughts that scared Edward the most though were the ones of pure fire. Sometimes it would be a subtle flame, or a whole city on fire, he even saw a memory of her standing in a field that was covered in flames.

Her mind started singing a song that was so lovely and without match to anything he'd heard before that he had to stop what he was doing just to listen. He wanted to know everything about her. She was just so different from anyone he'd met before, both vampires and humans.

He wanted to go up to Carlisle's study and talk to her, but he didn't want to break her constant stream of thoughts that were both amazing and terrifying. Along with that, despite her being barely five feet tall and no more than 100 pounds she was completely intimidating to him. How could he talk to someone who was a thousand times smarter than himself? How could he speak to her and not make a fool out of himself?

* * *

**I really like this chapter for some reason. What do you think?  
**


	45. Chapter 45

2000s

"Edward, if you want to talk to her just do it." Carlisle said as he passed by his son. Edward had been looking at the stairwell contemplating whether or not to go and talk to her for over an hour.

"What would I say to her?"

_'She loves teaching, ask her a question, that's how I got her to accept my company, but don't expect her to tell you anything beyond the answer to that question. She doesn't give away personal information freely.' _Edward nodded at his father, grateful for his kindness. _'Don't expect any kind of relationship from her either. You have to remember just how many humans and vampires she met before us. I'm actually surprised she tried to find me, well if anything it's more likely that she just came upon my scent and decided to see me again…' _Carlisle's thoughts were drifting as Edward walked up the stairs. He stood in front of the door to Carlisle's study, completely nervous. He could hear the soft sound of pages being turned.

"If you are going to come in than do so. Just standing out there is distracting." Bella said, surprising Edward. Her thoughts had been completely focused on her book. He opened the door and looked around. The whole room had been completely transformed. It had already had a wall full of books, but now every surface was covered in them. He knew Carlisle had gone to buy some readings for her, but he had not expect this many. He didn't even know where to stand. "What is it that you want, Edward?" Bella spoke without even looking up from her book. Her thoughts were still on the words she was reading.

"I was just curious ab-" Bella's head suddenly turned towards the window and she held a hand up, signaling silence. She had a strained look on her face.

_'Too heavy to be the Southerner's, Emmett-downstairs.'_

"_He's_ here." Bella whispered, standing from her chair and looking out the window.

* * *

**Edward tries to talk to her... and fails! So Alistair is coming back! Dun dun dun! Get excited!  
**


	46. Chapter 46

2000s

Edward followed Bella over to the window. He couldn't hear or see anything, but her posture made him think she was sensing something he couldn't.

"Is there a way I can move this without breaking it?" Bella asked while pointing at the glass. Edward nodded and unlocked the window before lifting it for her. Bella nodded in thanks before jumping out of it. As she landed she started growling while looking into the forest.

_'Shit, please be here-I can't take another' _Disjointed thoughts entered Edward's range of hearing.

_'Bella'_ A much darker mind thought.

Edward was almost scared to see who was coming. He could only hear one pair of feet running with a heavy, long gate.

Emmett and Carlisle went outside to see what was causing Bella to growl.

Edward's eyes grew big when he spotted the male vampire, her shadow. Edward recognized him from Bella's thoughts, but the images in her mind never showed how large he was. He was at least, _at the very least_ seven feet tall. His dark shoulder length hair was matted and had leaves in it. His clothes were splattered with mud, venom, and dried blood. He was grinning, but the very worst part that made this male so scary was what he was carrying in his hand. In his large hand there was the dangling form of a vampire's limbless torso and head.

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**Because walking in like a normal person is for noobs. Hope you like it!  
**


	47. Chapter 47

2000s

Alistair dropped the limbless blond tracker on the ground when he spotted Bella. He took note of the three males in his line of vision and the seven vampire scents that seemed to ooze from the tall building behind his mate. His eyes lingered momentarily on Carlisle, a slight rage building up at the thought of him touching Bella surged forward before he quelled it. Alistair knew that Bella would never take any man after him.

"Found you." Alistair said in a teasing voice. Bella hissed at him, getting into a crouch, ready to fight him.

"Do you really want to die that badly?" Bella asked while glaring at her mate.

"Only if it's by your hands." Alistair said right back without missing a beat. Emmett moved to intervene, but Carlisle stopped him, knowing Bella could easily take care of herself. Bella smiled cruelly at Alistair right before her hands were suddenly engulfed in flames.

"Then die at my hands!" Bella shouted before charging at him. Alistair's smile only grew as he dodged her first move.

"I always want to fuck you, but even more so when you're angry." He whispered as she took another swipe, this time at his face. Alistair just barely moved back in time, but some of his hair wasn't as lucky. The fringes of his beard lit up briefly before he extinguished them not even a second later. "In an hour from now I will be on top of you as you moan my name in ecstasy." Bella's anger was always her downfall, as Alistair new. Though it had to be the special brand of fury only he could invoke. They continued trading quick blows, most of which were blocked by Alistair as he just narrowly avoided her flames.

Emmett went to stop the fight again, but Carlisle shook his head, silently telling him to stop. His family couldn't see it, but he could. Underneath the anger that was evident in her eyes was joy and love. She was actually having a good time as they fought and he teased her.

Bella did a quick high kick that Alistair caught midair. Bella growled at him, already knowing what he was about to do. Before she could make her foot burst into flames he tossed her four stories high into the air. He started laughing as she reached the peak of the toss. Bella was glaring at him as she started falling, unable to do anything about her situation. She crossed her arms over her chest as her flames went out.

Alistair caught her easily and held onto her tightly before smothering her with a kiss. Bella tried to ignore him, but like always she quickly forgot what had originally angered her once his hands started roaming her body. Alistair groaned loudly as he fondled her, not caring about their audience.

Just when her thoughts went completely blank Alistair threw her over his shoulder like a caveman. She growled in annoyance at being interrupted. He just swatted her rear before turning to the forest and walking away from the Cullen household.

"You stupid son of a bitch! Let me down! I want to say bye to Carlisle." Bella shouted as she started pounding her small fists on Alistair's back. He just chuckled in response before picking up his pace. She continued cursing at him until they were out of sight.

Carlisle blinked a few times before bursting out into laughter. He was so happy that Bella had finally found someone to spend her eternity with, someone that loved her and who she loved in return. They seemed perfect for each other.

"Uhh, Dad…" Emmett said, bringing Carlisle back to the present.

"Yes?"

"What are we supposed to do with that?" Emmett asked while pointing at the limbless vampire that was flailing in the dirt.

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**So this is the last scene to the story (I know it leaves a few things unanswered use your imagination), but in a few days I'll be posting Bella's origins here. Did you like it?  
**


	48. Chapter 48

8000s BC

Glarris looked at the group of humans as they interacted. Two in particular had caught his attention a year ago. The first was a girl of 16 years named La. The second was a man of 26 years named Ro.

In Glarris' many years he had seen plenty of humans swindle other humans, but not the way these two did.

A year ago Ro put on a show pretending to be the messengers of a deity called Bal. Ro would tell a story of how Bal's messenger La would be coming and would burn half of their crops in three days if they did not sacrifice two of their herd and make offerings to him. The humans shunned him, going so far as to even throwing rocks at him.

Glarris had thought the man Ro was a fool and quickly put him out of his mind.

It was what happened three days later that interested Glarris. In the middle of a very dark night as he was hunting a near silent laugh caught his attention. He turned away from his intended prey and towards the source of the noise. He saw the then 15 year old La. She was kneeled in the middle of the crops, hidden from all mortal eyes. She was holding dried grass and had a look of concentration on her face. His eyes widened when he saw the grass suddenly catch on fire. La giggled and started spreading the fire. What was even more astounding to Glarris was that even when she touched the flames she did not burn.

When the morning came exactly half of the crops were ashes.

The following day Ro came back saying that Bal's messenger La would be coming at sunset and that everyone was to bring an offering.

As the sun hit the horizon La walked into the village wearing an elaborate mask and clothing, with her hands flaming. Ro then pointed to one of the biggest 'disbelivers' saying that they sinned against Bal. La would run up to them and touch their face with her hands burning them and leaving a scar on each side of their face, marking them for all to know.

Some stepped forward to defend their loved ones against Bal's messenger La, but when La's flames grew brighter and bigger they all stepped back and looked away from her in fear.

"Rejoice! For Bal has chosen this place to be his blessed city!" Ro said loudly once no one else tried to challenge them. "Bal wishes for a temple to be built in his name for La, his most loyal messenger, to stay in order to give this place its daily blessing. Bal's messenger La shall take your chief's hut until this shrine is built!" Ro bowed to La. "Bal is benevolent and has given me supplies for the temple and food to make up for what he took in retribution for your disbelief!" Ro paused. "All Bal asks in return is your eternal devotion."

Glarris laughed at the audacity of these two humans as he watched them covertly from the forest. He had never seen any human or vampire with this much… bold cunning.

The female interested him greatly. Her ability to produce and control flames intrigued him. He was even more interested though in her lack of being burned. If he changed her, well his immortality could truly be ensured if her gift could protect him from fire.

Along with that she was quite lovely. Vamperism would only enhance that beauty.

It only took the villagers a month to build the temple. It was the largest building in the village with four rooms. La and Ro stayed in the temple.

Glarris quickly found out that those two were lovers. This fact annoyed him. He had already started considering La as his own, even if she didn't yet know he existed. He was just waiting for her body to fully mature.

* * *

Those that La had burned when she first came to the village became the most devoted followers of Bal. They brought daily offerings of food and monthly offerings of luxuries such as fine clothing and intricately carved furniture.

La enjoyed having all the villagers at her beck and call. She considered them to be complete morons, like children easily manipulated. There initial fear had caused them to bend to her will, but it was the knowledge she and Ro brought with them that made them happily accept the two schemers into their community.

Ro taught them all new farming and fishing techniques. They even brought them a small flock of four legged domesticated animals that the villagers had never seen before. Their village was much more prosperous because of it.

A year passed as Glarris watched the small village grow. It started trading with the other villages and drew in more riches. The offerings to the temple became extravagant and people from other villages started visiting the temple. Having so many people coming and going made it easier for Glarris to hunt more often while still being close to La.

As the sun drooped behind the horizon Glarris decided to at last formally meet his young La. He walked unseen along the dirt paths and between the small huts.

He decided to be polite and to knock on the large wooden door rather than just walking in as he usually did. A moment later Ro opened the door widely before completely freezing. He had never seen such a fearsome yet divine looking man before.

"I've come to see La." Glarris said, trying not to be too intimidating. Ro snapped back into his usual mind set.

"She is to be addressed as Bal's Messenger La, or The Divine La." Ro's voice was authoritative despite him being scared of the large male in front of him. Glarris snorted and pushed aside the human gently.

"I do not care what lies you feed those humans, I won't be a party to them." Glarris walked into the temple. From the slow pace of La's heartbeat he knew she was asleep.

"You can't go in there!" Ro shouted as he stood back up and grabbed onto Glarris' arm. He tried to yank him away from La's room, but Glarris hardly felt the tug, nor did he care about it. He only started caring about the noise Ro was making when La's heart rate started accelerating. With a measured force Glarris backhanded Ro, sending him back to the ground and making him fall unconscious.

Glarris moved aside the small flap of fabric that constituted a door and walked into La's room.

La's heartbeat had slowed down again as Glarris looked around, seeing perfectly in the dark. He was surprised by the grandeur of it. Instead of the dirty floors that most buildings had there was flat, polished stones. Various pelts were strewn on the floor and the large feather stuffed bed. The frame of the bed had the images of flowers, fruits, and vegetables carved into it. A small contraption Glarris didn't recognize was smoking, giving off a sweet scent. A bowl near the bed had fresh fruit in it. A chest in the corner was cracked open and Glarris could see many outfits and masks.

He sat down on the bed beside her, causing her to groan and twisting slightly in her sleep. He lightly caressed her face, enjoying the fact that she would one day be his, that he'd finally be truly immortal, no longer having to fear the flames.

To wake her up in this manner would probably startle her though, and that simply would not do if he wanted his plan to work.

Glarris walked back to where Ro was unconscious on the floor. He picked up a half filled glass and tossed the contents at the human. Ro shot up, sputtering and wiping at his face.

"Get up human!" Glarris hissed and Ro was filled with fear. He clamored to get back on his feet. "Wake up La, and do so quickly." Ro opened his mouth to protest. "If you defy me I shall break your arm and your screams will wake her." Ro scurried into La's room.

"La, you have to wake up. We have to run." Ro whispered into La's ear as he shook her.

"Wha-what's wrong?"

"There's some sort of demon out there-" Glarris chose that moment to enter the room.

"Talented, conniving, and lovely La. It's a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance. I am Glarris." He made sure to give her his most charming smile. La tried to look indignant at this man who had the nerve to come into chambers uninvited, but with Glarris' keen sight he saw through her practiced façade.

"We have to leave now." Ro said in a foreign language.

"The only reason you're not dead," Glarris began in the same tongue as Ro had used, "is because I believe La would not appreciate me killing you. Yet, if you keep talking that reason will cease to have meaning." Ro looked at La pleadingly, despite him being almost twice as old as her. La motioned for Ro to calm down. He opened his mouth to speak again and she sent him a quick glare that silenced him instantly.

La stood up from her bed, abandoning the sheets and furs that covered her. Glarris enjoyed the air of confidence she had, despite only wearing a skirt and necklaces. She nonchalantly pulled on one of her better priestess robes that went down to her ankles.

"Drink?" La offered as she held up a half full jug of wine. Glarris laughed but declined. "Very well. Why are you here at this dark hour?" La asked as she poured herself a glass and sat in the only chair in the room.

"I've been watching you two for a while now. Your methods of taking from the lesser humans have entertained me greatly." He chuckled again and La's face remained impassive. "That wouldn't have kept my attention that long though." Glarris looked at one of the candles that were lit. "What interests me is your talent, the way you started that fire in the field, the way it didn't hurt you."

"We all have our talents." La said in a bland voice, but she was grinning.

"Some talents are more impressive than others." Glarris suddenly frowned. "By the standards of my kind I am wholly unremarkable, without talent, but amongst you humans I am gifted above all others."

"Your kind?" La was very interested in what he was saying, despite Ro's warning. Glarris had an other-worldly appeal that frightened her, but that fear was surpassed by curiosity.

"We have no name, we merely exists. There is no need for us to create a name for ourselves." Glarris trailed off and La nodded for him to continue. "I am a superior being to you humans with unmatched speed, strength, and intellect." Glarris was looking at Ro as he spoke, further scaring the man. "Most remarkably I am immortal, never dying." La narrowed her eyes at his statement.

"That which has a start must have an end." She said confidently.

"And that is why I am here. With you by my side I do believe we could achieve an immortality with no end."

"Ahh, so it is fire that makes your kind mortal."

"Unfortunately."

"So I could kill you this instant if I wanted."

"By the time a single flame touched me I'd have already snapped your delicate neck." To prove his point he ran behind her and lightly brushed her neck before returning to his original spot. La had only seen a blur.

"I see you did not exaggerate your speed."

Glarris was once again impressed by La. Her composure was not only based on years of lying, he could hear her heart thudding away against her ribs. Its pace had only gone up slightly after his stunt. Ro's heart, on the other hand, was racing faster than the breaths he was gasping. Glarris wouldn't be surprised if the man fainted soon just from the pressure his emotions were putting on his body.

"Despite the show I put on to my followers I'm only mortal. How would having me around help you in the long run?" La had already figured it out, but she wanted to hear him say it.

"Quite simply I'll turn you into one of us, into an immortal."

Ro suddenly stood up and stood between La and Glarris.

"No, I won't let you take her." He said while trembling. Glarris was once again surprised. He knew the two of them had some sort of relationship, but he didn't know it was this strong.

"Ro, we're merely discussing terms. No need for you to ruin that."

"But-"

"No need to act childish." Bella said, cutting him off. "Glarris has an advantage in this situation and you talking just frustrates us both." Ro looked down at his feet easily shamed due to years of manipulation on La's part.

"Besides, what do you have to offer La? Another year of living this sham? Many villagers are already suspicious of you two despite the growth you've caused. And then what? Moving onto another town? Leeching off them till they try to kill you? You might be able to pull it off, but what about when one of you dies? Your scheme requires at least two people. Ultimately it ends in death." La remained impassive as Glarris talked. Ro's eyes went wide as he took all this in, clearly not having thought that far ahead. "I, unlike you, can offer her countless years, access to all the riches she could desire, and a world larger than you can imagine."

"What you're saying sounds very appealing, but surely there are downsides you have yet to mention." La was trying to read his expression, but she couldn't.

"Yes, the change from your kind to mine is torture. It leaves you incapable of having children. It also makes it so that you need to feast on the blood of humans." La considered these prospects. "In the end the pain and deaths are worth it."

"And what of Ro?"

"He is no use to me. I suggest he grabs all the treasure he can tonight and leave this place before it turns against him."

"Your proposition interests me." La considered the possibilities, living forever gave her so many new opportunities. It wasn't the eternity though that seemed to clench the deal for her; no it was the promise of gaining a better mind, a better intellect.

"Please don't leave me. We're a team. Without you they'll surely kill me. I can't go back to our village. They'd stone me for stealing you from the chief's son."

"Come here Ro." La said, her arms spread wide. He fell into her embrace. "You promised me riches and adventure and you fulfilled that promise tenfold, but now I must go on a new adventure. You love me, don't you?" He could only nod in response. "Then think of this as your final gift to me, the gift of letting me go." Ro clutched onto her tighter. "When the first worshiper comes with the sun tell them I am consulting with Bal on grave matters. Talia should be coming around noon. You can't see it, but she loves you. Use that to your advantage. Spin her a story and slip away in the night with her and as much riches as you can."

"But…"

"Just do it, Ro. This is the best outcome for all of us." He remained silent at first

"I'll do it, but only because I want you to have the best of this world." Ro said before giving her a deep kiss. La wiped the side of her lip when he was done before looking at Glarris.

"I'm ready." La said confidently while standing. Glarris smiled before picking her up and disappearing from Ro's sight. Ro wept for thirty minutes before becoming stoic and determined. He was finished packing by the time the sun peaked from behind the horizon.

A world away Glarris set La down before grabbing a different human and draining him right in front of her. Glarris watched her as he did. She did not cringe away or scream, instead La just raised an eyebrow in morbid curiosity.

Without speaking Glarris dropped the man and bit into La. She took in a startled breath before it turned into a scream as his venom was introduced into her system. He licked his lips as he looked down at her, savoring the taste of her blood. Her screams, although ear piercing did not bother him. He'd heard so many over his lifetime that they faded into the background like birds tweeting.

He held her as she changed, not out of compassion or comfort, but out of greed and a sense of possession. His plan had gone smoother than he'd anticipated. She was finally his and with her came true immortality.

He found it amusing, how she clutched onto him as if somehow that would dull her torture.

He watched her features change as the venom burned her. Her beauty was as grand as he'd expected it to be. Glarris was so caught up staring at her altering form that he didn't notice that instead of her skin becoming cold it grew hotter and hotter.

As the second day ended he finally took note of the increasing heat, it was almost painful. He tried to pry her off of him, but the more he struggled the hotter it got. Just as he was about to bite off her arm she lit up, fire radiating from her body. Glarris screamed in anguish as the flames destroyed him. He tried to push La away, but his hands turned to charcoal. La seemed to only hold onto him tighter as he flailed. Seconds later he was ash.

On the third day La's transformation was complete. Her red eyes cracked open. She was laying on her back, looking up at the sun. She blinked a few times in confusion before sitting up. The area around her was scorched. La looked down at herself she was naked, save for a fine layer of ash that covered her.

She laid back down and covered her eyes, trying to understand what was happening, what had happened. Her mind was blank, she couldn't even remember her name. She sighed. Her throat was hurting, but she pushed aside the sensation, trying to focus on any clues that might still be in her head, even something as insignificant as her own name.

La growled in frustration, startling herself. She suddenly stood and focused on the sun again as she sifted through the stray, useless bits of memory. None of them made any sense. Finally two words came together, causing a glimmer of recognition in her thoughts.

"Bal-La." She tested the name on her lips. It felt right.

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**What do you think of Bella's origins?  
**

**Hope you liked the story! I started a new Bella/Aro story btw. **


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